While Monster Commander is primarily going to be a single-player experience, it will also have a local multiplayer mode! I’ve been demoing the multiplayer in my area, and at the insistence of some of the people who’ve played it, I’m putting the multiplayer demo online.

I absolutely *love* this, and I want more! The programming seems solid as far as I can tell from trying the game out, and the monster and spell sprites are just gorgeous. I think the map and interface/GUI graphics could use some work, but I'm guessing you're planning on improving them later!

Two questions:

1) Are you on Twitter? A lot of game developers are active there, and I like to follow game development stuff there.

2) Did you do the sprites, or does someone else do the art? And if it's someone else, who is it?

To answer your questions...1) I'm not on Twitter, but I need to be. You can follow me at @digital_dessert if you want to be there once I start using it.2) I wish I could create sprites like that! I created the map and GUI graphics - you're correct about them being placeholders. The artist is Kalan Fry, whose work continuously impresses me.

Thanks! You probably can't tell from the demo, but the single player mode is going to be the focus of the game. There's going to be a full story mode, including branching paths and side quests. You'll be selecting missions from a map screen (there won't be an overworld, so the focus is on the battles). You build up a team by recruiting enemy monsters in battle, and winning battles will provide other rewards (teaching new attacks to monsters, learning new spells, increasing your team size, etc).

There will be a story, too! Humans have discovered a parallel world full of monsters and magic. Since magical energy can be harvested, they've started to set up colonies there. Recently, some humans have discovered that they can form bonds with the native monsters, and use them as living weapons. These commanders have completely overturned the social order - some have used their power to rule the colonies as tyrants, others who were previously oppressed have started revolutions, and many simply can't handle their newfound power and are terrorizing the countryside. Amidst this chaos, there's a great need for a hero...

Pretty much. When it hides in its shell, the ramport is nearly immune to physical and ice attacks. Fire, lightning and acid attacks still work pretty well, though.

The fun thing about the ramport is that it automatically slows down nearby enemies. So if you move it next to a physical attacker, you force it to either attack the ramport (doing minimal damage), or to move away and skip attacking entirely.

I forgot to ask, is there any particular area where you need feedback most? Somewhere you're not sure if you've got it quite right and specifically want an external opinion? (e.g. difficulty, UI, AI, strategy, enjoyment, art, ...)

The reason I ask is because I find in my experience asking or giving feedback, having some specific goals in mind helps everyone focus.

The game is still early enough in development that I'll take any feedback. Difficulty and balance are a bit less important right now, and whether or not parts of the game were confusing or unintuitive is a higher priority, but I'm not picky.

I really like the pixel art and the designs! Pora is just the most adorable thing

I also love the well thought out gameplay and the core mechanic of the Soul Wells that forces you to not onlykeep to a defensive and rather static tactic but rather makes you have to be more flexible. It also gives some great comeback possibilities. Although the map is simple it is extremely well designed and balanced for the monsters you get in the demo. I'm looking forward to the maps you come up with for this game in the future.

It took me a few times to beat it (I'm not super good at tactic games) but I found the learning curve rewarding and failure did not really frustrate so much as it taught you. Was it just my imagination or did the enemy overseer have an enormous range though?